What is the hand sign in the hunger games mean

Then I walk away without looking back. So Katniss makes this symbol and as the movie shows, the first riots and protests of the uprising against the Capitol begin. From then on, the significance of the gesture completely changes and it becomes a symbol of the revolution - effectively, a way for the citizens of the Districts to say goodbye to the overbearing force and power of the Capitol.

The whistle that accompanies it is the noise that the mockingjays make. From the Hunger Games wiki :. A mockingjay is a bird that was created through the mating of jabberjays and female mockingbirds.

When Katniss wore a pin with this bird on it in the 74th Hunger Games, the Capitol was angry. They believed it would result in an uprising because the Capitol saw the mockingjay as a failure.

This is why Katniss became "The Mockingjay" and led the rebels in Mockingjay. Otherwise, the audience would be more in the dark than Katniss was throughout the whole series. The three finger salute is said to be a farewell to a loved one. That is how the people in the districts see it. Those who serve the Capitol and Pres. Snow see it as an act of rebellion of sorts. Those who put the three fingers in the air and do the whistle are showing signs of anti-Games beliefs.

Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What does the three finger salute mean in Hunger Games?

Ask Question. Asked 7 years, 9 months ago. Later on, in the second film, the left hand is used like in the book. What does 3 fingers up and ring finger down mean? At first one, then another, then almost every member of the crowd touches the three middle fingers of their left hand to their lips and holds it out to me.

It is an old and rarely used gesture of our district, occasionally seen at funerals. Collins' inspiration raises a question about whether the three-finger salute was inspired by the Roman or gladiatorial salute. The Roman salute was a military gesture in which the arm was extended with the palm facing down, similar to the salute seen in The Hunger Games.

Additionally, gladiators were rumored to have raised their weapons in a gesture to the Roman emperor before entering the ring. The oft-quoted Latin phrase, "We who are about to die salute you," is an apt sentiment for both Katniss and the oppressed people of District The three-finger salute is also reminiscent of blowing a kiss, a motion that expresses love and affection toward someone important. Like the salute, blowing a kiss is something that can be done silently and from a distance, a way of saying, "I'll miss you.

Like a military salute, the three-finger salute is a formal gesture only seen in certain situations, making it more significant.

The respect it conveys is a higher form of recognition, granting the recipient status among an admired few. Since , a similar three-finger salute has been used by Boy and Girls Scouts, representing the three parts of the scout promise: to honor God and country, help others, and obey Scout Law.

The meaning of The Hunger Games salute is likely also threefold, perhaps representing the three meanings Katniss outlines — gratitude, respect and grief.